132 THE boy's oath. 



Romans, which Verres placed in his celebrated gallery, 

 and Cicero in his celebrated speech. There also 

 might be seen the famous brazen bull which an Athe- 

 nian invented for the amusement of Phalaris. Human 

 beings were put inside ; a fire was lit underneath ; and 

 the throat was so contrived, that the shrieks and groans 

 of the victims made the bull bellow as if he was alive. 

 The first experiment was made by King Phalaris upon 

 the artist ; and the last by the people upon King 

 Phalaris. 



Hamilcar caressed his son and asked him if he 

 would like to go to the war : when the boy said 

 Yes, and showed much delight, Hamilcar took his 

 little hands and placed them upon the altar and 

 made him swear that he would hate the Romans 

 to his dying day. Long years afterwards, when that 

 boy was an exile in a foreign land, the most glorious, 

 the most unfortunate of men, he was accused by his 

 royal host of secretly intriguing with the Romans. 

 He then related this circumstance, and asked if it was 

 likely that he would ever be a friend to Rome. 



Hamilcar marched. ■ The politicians supposed that 

 he was merely engaged in a third-rate war, and were 

 quite easy in their minds. But one day there came 

 a courier from Tangiers. He brought tidings which 

 plunged the whole city in a tumult of wonder and ex- 

 citement. The three great streets which led to the 

 market-place were filled with streaming crowds. A 

 multitude collected round the city hall, in which sat 

 the Senators anxiously deliberating. Women ap- 

 peared on the roofs of the houses and bent eagerly 

 over the parapets, while men ran along bawling out the 

 news. Hamilcar Barca had gone clean off. He was 

 no longer in Africa. He had crossed the sea. The 



